THE BEST FOR LAST. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - John 2:9-10

Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

OBSERVATION

In this passage the Holy Spirit though John's writing wants to communicate a principle rather than just a story. And this principle is based in God's progressive blessing in our lives. When the master of the banquet tasted the superior quality wine, his comment reveals that Jesus' work doesn't rely in the glory of the past, but leaves the best for last. When Jesus touches our lives we go from glory to glory, from better to much better. Once we are enjoying today's blessings, we have a tendency to become comfortable and complacent. But Jesus wants us to expect more from Him.

APPLICATION

In my personal life and in my ministry I've seen the Lord doing great and amazing things. Through the years I've seen a progression in His blessing over my life. But for some reason, lately I've been feeling stuck and relying more in the blessings of the past. This nostalgia causes me to crave some old blessings rather than the new and better blessings ahead. My past blessings are helpful to remind me that God has always been faithful, but I should not rely in yesterday's blessings. I should be hungry and thirsty for the choice wine that Jesus always leaves for later. My best days are yet to come.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for relying in the past and for focusing more in yesterday that in tomorrow. You are a God that leaves the best for last. You love to increase more and more blessings as days go by. Please help me to see the future applying this principle, knowing that you are not done with me and that I've not seen or heard the awesome things you want to do in my life. Please bring me closer to you like never before. And help me to expect the most fruitful season in my relationship with you as new days come. I'm looking forward to the choice wine you have prepared for me. I love you Lord. Amen!

CHEERLEADERS. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Hebrews 12:1-4

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

OBSERVATION

Following Christ is not just a walk around the park. It’s more like a competitive race, full of energy and excitement. Great rewards and satisfaction are on the line when we stop running. That’s why we need to persevere, ignore our tiredness, find strength in the Lord, avoid distractions, and stop paying attention to the voices that want to slow us down.

As I take a look into my own life I can see how easy is to slow down. When facing distractions, discouragement, and tiredness, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus, the one who endure it all: criticism, exhaustion, pain, suffering, fears, doubts and even betrayal. By following Jesus’ example we will overcome and we will run towards the goal.

APPLICATION

In the past I had many people around me cheering me up to keep running in spite of the difficulties. If it wasn’t for these people, I would have become lethargic and miss great blessings in my life and ministry. I knew I’m surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, the heroes of the faith, cheering us from heaven. But also I have a great cloud of loving and encouraging people that motivate me to move forward, running with great passion towards the goal. I’m very thankful for these people.

During this season in my life I feel God’s callig to be an encourager and cheer other pastors that are struggling in their race of ministry. Being here in Taiwan this week I can sense God using me to encourage pastor Stephen to keep running towards the goal, fixing his eyes on Jesus. I’m so privileged to stand on the sidelines and cheer him and his team on. There’s no doubt in my mind that they will advance God’s Kingdom in Taiwan and China in amazing ways.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for all the people in my life that have been cheerleaders, encouragers, and heroes of the faith. I owe them so much. Let me be a cheerleader for others as well, encouraging always, speaking God's purpose into their lives, and supporting them form the sidelines. Amen!

BUILDING GOD'S KINGDOM WITH FAITH. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

OBSERVATION
Reading this passage today has a very special meaning. It's my first day in Taiwan, following God's instructions to come and serve a dear group of brothers and sisters that are called to plan a New Hope church here in Taipei. They are following a pattern that each Bible hero had to follow for their generation. It's the pattern of faith. All the amazing things we read in Scripture came because these men and women simply believed God's promises. Regardless the opposition the encountered and the impossibilities ahead of them, they simply trusted in God's promise and they made a huge difference.

APPLICATION

I remember when we launched our church at Diamond Head. We only had the promises of God to rely upon and God did great things in us and through us. However, there's more to be done, things that go beyond our footprint in this generation. This is the only way to please God: by believing in His promises and by continuing doing what God has called us to do. I know that I'm a small part in God's plan for Hawaii. I'm just a another brick God is using to build His church in Hawaii. But as insignificant as my work is, I'm able to build upon what others have built and others after me will continue building upon what I build.

I believe that this season for my brothers and sisters in Taiwan is very special. They are called to engaged in a journey of faith. They are building upon the faith of many other great servants of God before them. And I believe that their labor of faith in their generation will cause more of Gods kingdom to be built among the Taiwanese and Chinese people.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for bringing me here to Taiwan to serve these amazing group of faithful brothers and sisters to build your Kingdom. Please anoint our team to serve them effectively and practically so they can continue giving their lives for the cause of Christ in Taiwan and China. Please help us to follow this pattern of faith that truly pleases you so we can continue building your kingdom. Amen.

HELPING A BRUTE BEAST. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Psalm 73:21-26

²¹ When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,

²² I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.

²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.

²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

OBSERVATION

This passage reveals one of the most amazing facts about God's grace and patience with His people. God knows that our flesh and our heart fails, causing us to be embittered, senseless and ignorant, like a brute beast. This description may not be pretty, but it's very accurate. We all have our "brute beast" moments. We often fall into a funk and struggle in our faith, convictions, and even compromise in our behavior. But God's promise is to never leave us and never forsake us. He is the strength of our heart and our portion forever.

APPLICATION

What I love about this passage is that I can relate completely with the description here. I have my times when I behave and think like a brute beast, letting my raw natural instinct direct my ways into the wrong path. Those are the moments when my heart and my flesh fail. But even then, when I walk away from God's presence, I have to say that I don't feel completely alone. Even though I feel ashamed, I honestly sense the presence of God calling me back. His right hand is always ready to guide me back to His perfect will. His crazy love for me overwhelms me, helping a brute beast like me to find strength once again in my heart to become faithful to Him.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for never leaving me alone, especially when my heart and flesh fail me. I don't deserve your faithful love and I could never do anything to deserve it. Please help a brute beast like me to become a faithful and willing servant. Be my strength and my portion forever. Help me to live out my faith, so when I say that I love you, it's truly a testimony of my daily life. Amen!

IN THE DESERT. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Hosea 2: 14-15

¹⁴ "Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.

¹⁵ There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

OBSERVATION

The book of Hosea reveals the heart of God towards his sinful people. God's mercy and grace are available towards a stubborn Israel. He conquers people's hearts not by force but with His love and compassion. People worship God as a response of His love for them. God initiates, provides, and secures this kind of relationship because of the nature and power of His love.

This passage reveals how God deals with our propensity to sin. He allures us to the desert to change our hearts and to restore us with his tender voice and faithful care. When we experience the desert we are more prone to experience God. What amazes me about the Lord is that He speaks his greatest revelation to his greatest servants while they are in the desert. It's in the midst of exhaustion, loneliness, barrenness, heat, and thirst that our hearts become sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. It's in the desert where we find our true purpose in life, hope for living, and joy to endure the tests and suffering this life brings. The question is, "Do we run away from the desert, or do we run towards it?"

APPLICATION

Deserts come in different shapes and forms. Those seasons when we feel lonely, tired, frustrated, ineffective, hopeless, and meaningless, are great opportunities to experience the power of God's love and to hear His tender voice. In my own life I've only heard God's tender voice in the midst of deserts. When I was lonely God spoke to me about building true friendships and serving people. When I was barren and ineffective in my ministry, God's love allured me to give up my rights, to surrender to God's plan, and I heard God's instructions that led me to a place of fruitfulness and effectiveness. When I felt far away from God and deeply convicted of my selfishness and repetitive sins, God came with the power of His grace to restore me, to heal me, to lift me up, and to show me that no matter what I do, His love for me is real, strong, and eternal.

What is interesting about all these experiences is that even though the deserts in my life have been the places to conceive fruitfulness, hope, growth, and significance in my life, I'm still afraid of them. I don't want to go through them. I want to run away from them. Nobody likes to experience the symptoms of a desert season. But I cannot forget that in the deserts of my life I will find more closeness to God and I will experience His love and grace in a transforming way.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please give me strength and purpose when facing the unavoidable deserts of my life. I cannot say that I enjoy these seasons, but help me to see their purpose and give me the endurance to persevere, to wait, until your tender voice is heard and your loving power is displayed in my life. I need to be different. There's so much that needs to be changed. And today I realize that you may allure me to the desert to answer my prayer. I cannot deny that it's scary. So please help me to fix my eyes on You, because when I do that, all my fears go away. Help me to trust you and in your ways to speak truth and light into my life. Take me to the desert and mold me according to your perfect will. Amen!

LIKE A GARDEN. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Titus 3:3-8

³At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

OBSERVATION

When Paul writes to Titus about the essence of our journey with Christ, he clearly points out that our past should not interfere with our present or future because the saving work of Christ in us. In the past we were dominated by our sinful cravings. When we accept God's love and freedom secured by the cross, we are born again so we don't follow the same pattern of the past. We used to follow the pattern of selfishness of the flesh, but now we follow the pattern of godliness by the Holy Spirit. However, we must be careful that our new pattern is not altered by the old pattern. We must devote ourselves to do what s good. We need to be intentional about nurturing the new seeds of righteousness, otherwise the old weeds of destruction will grow and ruin what God wants to do in our lives.

APPLICATION

In a very simple way, our relationship with God is like a beautiful Garden. On our own, our hearts grow wild, selfishness overgrows everything, chaos reigns, and dangerous creatures find a home. But when the Holy Spirit comes to reveal the love and grace of God, trees are pruned, beauty is nurtured, and order is welcomed and restored. But it doesn't stay that way. That's why we must be careful to keep doing what is good, especially, by never neglecting our interaction with the Holy Spirit. Doing daily devotions is one of the most effective ways to keep our garden in good shape. We may not see huge positive results everyday, but we keep ourselves from feeding what once destroyed our lives. This lifestyle requires also lots of faith on our behalf. We need to believe that as wee seek the Lord and focus in godliness, our selfish nature becomes weaker, even dormant.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many opportunities I have wasted, not nurturing my relationship with you, neglecting seeking you, and allowing the things from the past to start growing again. Let me take care of the garden of my heart by constantly seeking friendship and companionship with your Holy Spirit. Help me to be diligent in my devotions, in doing things that edify me, and by avoiding things that distract me from this purpose. I love you Lord. Amen!